February 12, 2013 In art, craftsmanship, creativity, design, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “Hands”

“I feel, therefore I am.”

This is Chris’s astute take on René Descartes famous line “I think, therefore I am”, as he reflects on all the ways our hands express our selves.

I love the austere, but still warm, shooting of this one, and marvel at the ease with which Chris shares his thoughts, simultaneously simple, profound and accessible. Anyone who works with their hands will certainly appreciate what he has to say. Anyone who talks with their hands, and anyone with an understanding of body language will be nodding along.

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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January 29, 2013 In art, craftsmanship, creativity, design, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “Fire”

fire

In “Fire”, Chris shares insights on fire and life, magic and alchemy, duality and unpredictability, bringing us yet another intriguing, thoughtful and refreshing presentation. Thank you, Chris!

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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January 22, 2013 In art, craftsmanship, creativity, design, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “Liking Mistakes”

topCupsStaley_sm

Not surprisingly, Chris’s kids have grown up using handmade pots and cups, and one day Chris asked his youngest daughter what it’s like to use handmade pieces, and she said “Dad, I really like the mistakes”.

It’s that beautiful messiness of fine craftsmanship that creates something that’s one-of-a-kind and gloriously unpredictable. As in life, where we are so much more than a series of precise measurements; we are not exact templates. As in life, each cup holds a story, transferred from the hands that make it and then again transformed by the hands that hold and share it.

Our mistakes add interest, color, and emotion ~ whether in our craft, or in our life. I call them happy accidents, because nine times out of ten they lead to a new idea or thought or road one might not have travelled, and we’re made the richer.

This is one of Chris’s most touching video’s, imperfectly perfect, where his trademark honesty shines through. Enjoy!

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.) 

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January 15, 2013 In art, craftsmanship, creativity, design, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “Meaningful Cups”

Chris Staley

Chris Staley

“I like that sense of contemplation that can happen when you’re drinking out of a cup, and (how that touch) has a way of actually slowing time down.” [Chris Staley]

In this week’s video, Chris describes the making of, and meanings behind, a cup, starting with a very to-the-point question his professor asked when he was a graduate student: When you make a cup, do you want it to be used, or to be displayed in someone’s livingroom?

And as ever, maybe in part because I was so horrible at a potter’s wheel myself back in the day, it’s a pleasure to watch him work his craft.

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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January 8, 2013 In appreciation, art, communication, craftsmanship, creativity, history, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “What is Art?”

Chris Staley

Chris Staley

After a little hiatus for the holidays, our “Tuesdays with Chris” are back ~ and oh, you’re in for a treat on this one!  [And what is art to you? …]

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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December 18, 2012 In appreciation, art, communication, craftsmanship, creativity, history, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “Magic Clay”

Chris Staley

Chris Staley

Clay is magical.

There is, of course, s a sense of magic in all artistic endeavors. The “making something from nothing”, starting with the simplest base and most fundamental tools ~ whether a pencil and paper, strings on a guitar, a slab of clay ~ creating as your hands, eyes, heart, mind and spirit move you. The magic is in the spontaneity, the exploration. The details follow ~ but first comes the spark.

Here, Chris shares some of his own magic with us, and it’s a delight to see!

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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December 11, 2012 In appreciation, art, communication, craftsmanship, creativity, history, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “Drawing as Thinking”

Chris Staley (sketchs)

some of Chris’s rough sketches

Can it be Tuesday again already? That sure went fast! But it means another great video from Chris. This week he’s talking about something that plays a pretty major role in my own life, so I’ve decided not to make any elaborate commentary ~ of course, if what he says has anything to do with stream of consciousness, or infinite possibilities, he’s on to something…

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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December 4, 2012 In appreciation, art, communication, craftsmanship, creativity, history, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “The Art of Teaching “

Chris Staley

Chris Staley

“Teaching is a work of art.”

In this week’s video, Chris describes three types of teachers, and how a sense of ownership and involvement comes alive in a classroom when the lines of engagement become fluid ~ and his students tell us what characteristic they find most important for a teacher to bring to a learning experience. And at the end of the day, it seems the whole teaching/learning process is most effective not by how much you know, but how much you care.

All of which reminds me of a favorite quote by François Rabelais: “A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit.”… something that, I believe, goes for all of us, at any age.

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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November 27, 2012 In appreciation, art, communication, craftsmanship, creativity, history, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Tuesdays with Chris: “A Woman’s Perspective “

Chris Staley

Chris prompts a discussion among three phenomenal women art professors that in 6 short minutes speaks to the heart of teaching, self-confidence, engagement and passion. Really terrific.

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

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